


A Good Vintage

by silent_bard



Category: Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ficlet, I'm Sorry, Other, Thrawn is a bottle, don't actually know how to open champagne, fun with writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:02:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22977349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silent_bard/pseuds/silent_bard
Summary: Eli opens a bottle of champagne to celebrate his promotion to Grand Admiral.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 14





	A Good Vintage

**Author's Note:**

> Inspiration came from the [envelope post](https://ao3commentoftheday.tumblr.com/post/189978384102/okay-so-im-actually-about-to-write-a-porn-fic) on tumblr and just playing around with writing to see if I could write an inanimate object in a different way like that. This is why I'm not allowed to get bored when a pen and paper are around, too.

Eli all but collapsed onto the couch in his quarters.

It had been a good day, if not a little disturbing at times. And a long day. A smile spread across his face as he ran his hands along the new rank plaque. _Grand Admiral_. Him. A wild space yokel.

It was a little petty but the idea of comming Gimm did cross his mind. Mostly just to see the smug bastard flail a little at how much Eli outranked him now. He'd been so damn sure Eli would get a demotion after Cyphar. He was the one left in charge of that mission after all. A lowly lieutenant mediating an argument the captain thought was too far beneath him, and it had been his idea to burn off that vein without asking permission from his superior or the Afes. Eli shrugged the thought aside. He was too high in rank now for that sort of base behavior. And he had worked too hard.

He leaned back into the soft cushions a moment, enjoying the relief in his stiff back and aching muscles. He wasn't old by any means, but it took it out of him to pander and pretend with all those Core Worlders, trying hard not to offend with his accent or mannerisms. And the meeting alone with the Emperor. He shivered. That man, if that's what he could be called, was terrifying enough, but coming face to face with Darth Vader was worse somehow. He couldn't quite place his thumb on it.

And now he was supposed to chauffeur the mechanized murder machine to the outer edge of the empire on a secret mission? He would have to talk with his officers first thing in the morning. Make sure they knew to be extra cautious for now. Eli wouldn't risk losing good people- and his crew were good people- to Vader's wrath if he could help it.

He sat forward again, resting his elbows on his knees and rubbing his face. That was enough. Tonight he _would_ be happy. He had reached the pinnacle of success and he had power enough to start doing some real good in the empire.

His eyes fell on the conservator in the corner and he smiled. He walked over and pulled out a cerulean blue bottle.

Eli ran his thumb along the embossed label. With its unique ridges and contours, it was like a work of art. The reds and whites and golds of that label looking strikingly similar to his new uniform, and contrasting beautifully with the blue glass. Eli couldn't help being drawn to the bottle, like it had some strange hold on him.

As beautiful as the outside was, the contents themself were a champagne, strong and rare, from the Mitth Vineyards on Csilla. Called Thrawn by the company, this vintage was highly prized by many on his homeworld, and exorbitantly expensive.

A trader occasionally brought in a bottle or two of the stuff when he stopped off at Lysatra to rest after a long trek through the Unknown Regions.

Eli was flabbergasted when his parents presented him with a bottle to celebrate his first promotion. They were so proud of him then, and they're just as proud of him now though he has little time to call or message anymore. He couldn't bring himself to open it at the time. Choosing instead to treasure it. Keep it safe and close like an old friend. _Or a lover_. Eli shook that silly thought away. It was just a good vintage. But he supposed now was as good a time as any to pop its cork.

He couldn't help shivering a little as he carried the bottle back to the couch and set it on the little table. It was cold as winter, just he way he wanted it. Inviting.

The bottle was already beginning to sweat. He eyed a small droplet that made its way slowly down the neck and over the body of the bottle to hang at the edge of the curved bottom just a moment before pooling on the table. It was joined by others as a small wet ring began to form.

Eli laughed. "You lookin' forward to this too, huh?" he asked, and immediately felt ridiculous. Was he really talking to a bottle?

Eli sighed and reached for his corkscrew, luxuriating in the feel of the heavy, smooth metal before working it slowly into the cork.

Eli began to feel his excitement rise as he worked the cork out one tiny bit at a time. Just a little more...

_POP!_

The cork flew out as the champagne burst forth in a long awaited release. Eli’s eyes opened wide in shock. He hadn’t expected it to be so loud... or messy. There was champagne all over the couch and table. And his new uniform.

He laughed and poured out a glass, hoping no one heard that and questioned him about it later.


End file.
